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I realized something lately and that is the Military Service life I grew up in did me a lot of good. My dad served 21 years in the Air Force. It took me a while to fully appreciate what I learned from that life.

I would first like to start out by Thanking every man and women that has ever or is now serving in services defending and protecting our country. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL. I also want to thank their families. Unless you have grown up or been in the military life you don’t realize all the families go through and the sacrifices made many times. Moving constantly among all else. This is very hard on the families.

I grew up an Air Force brat moving every couple of years. Always the new kid on the block. Being very shy in those days it was very hard. But it was also exciting in one way and that is that I got to see and live in a lot of the US and lived in Japan and went to first grade there. Japan was beautiful and very different but fascinating to see the difference in cultures. That experience showed me a whole new world and I loved traveling even then.

Someone made a comment that set me off about another country and its people a few days back. Thinking about it made me realize how lucky I was and am because of the fact I have been able to meet many people from around the world. I have been blessed with an international view of the world. That is one thing about the service you do get. These people are my “Village” that I grew up with and learned from and saw life through their eyes even if it was for a moment.

Even when moved to Sunnyvale California our neighborhood had several different nationalities within it. Most of us have heard and know “it Takes a village to raise a child”.

My village was great. I learned so much about different people and cultures and learned we are all people and go through so many of the same things. In the service those families of the service person are a big part of that village. Again, I thank them because I know it made a great difference in my life and how I look at things.

For me it is a good thing. It has opened me up to so much just in the fact that I got to see so much and meet so many different people from different walks of life. I see everyone as an individual trying to make it in this world the best they can. Doesn’t matter what the color of their skin, or shape of their eyes are. They are just trying to survive and thrive as most of us do. I see everyone as a possible friend unless they themselves prove me wrong.

We were going Paris a few years back and we had someone tell us how rude “they” were over there and other negative things. Well i am a firm believer in you get what you put out and we went in with excitement ignoring this person’s impression. Well we were treated great everywhere we went. I don’t think I came across one rude person in my dealings. But then we went in with smiles and treated them with respect and we got it back. It was a wonderful trip. And that has been the same for all our trips. We will rob ourselves of meeting some wonderful people if we go with the attitude of other nationalities being bad or unequal to us. Oh yes you will meet many bad people in life too but remember that is an individual.

Being a service brat gave me a love of travel and meeting different people. It is wonderful to learn about others. Again, thank you to all the service families that I had in my life and for your services that you also serve with your spouse.

I also want to mention how blessed I was in my neighborhood in Sunnyvale. I had 3 “other moms” whom I grew to love and cherish and taught me a lot of things during my high school years with a lot of stuff going on. I thank you all and love you ladies! You were there for me more than you may ever know. THANK YOU and it is good to still talk to some of you after all these years. I think you will know who you are if you read this! It is not about where your from or what you are it is how you treat others.

Again I am reminded on how unexpected life is and the only for sure is that it will end. In the last few years I have lost three very important people in my life. They are at peace now so I am happy for them. I realize more than ever how important it is to remember all the good things, learn from the bad and more on. Live while you can. That world has so much beauty and good in it if we look for it instead of looking at the bad always. We already know we can find that. It is wasted time we can never get back. Being bitter and angry produces illness. It robs us of precious time. Being nice to people does not take money or good looks or higher education, not that it is bad to have any of those but it is not mandatory. You get the same sense of satisfaction from a smile or a pleasant word back either way and if you don’t you gave food for thought to a unhappy person. Some times all someone needs is a smile to change their whole day from bad to good. A kind word goes many many miles.

We will be healthier and happier through kindness. The world needs this. This is what will help bring peace.

Today my blog is also on my Facebook page also. I think everyone needs laughter in their live. So the more that can be reminded the better for all.

So much sadness, so much sorrow.

Let us all stand together and

wish for a better tomorrow!

And yet there is so much that is good out there. But you don’t get overloaded with that kind of news. And how about the kids? What are they to think when that is the focus?

I try to focus on that as so many of us do but all we hear about the world is negative all the time.

Many years ago it was suggested to me not to watch the news, especially before trying to go to sleep. Anything I need to know I will find out but to hear everything that is wrong is so narrow and hazardous to one’s health.

I think we all need more laughter. It is the best medicine up there on the list under prayers. Pills can’t do it.

Our cousin from Australia sent us this e-mail. A reminder to me as I needed reminding to take my laughter everyday. He and His wife laugh a lot and like to make others laugh too.

This video is a few years old but it still made me laugh. So I thought I would share it.

I have heard many things about “As we get older”. And I am now seeing a lot of these things happening as I get older. One of them is loss. The older I get the more loss I see. There is not just older people either just people you know that seem to die young or old.

Of course we all expect to see our grandparents and parents go. That is one of the hardest things. My dad died when I was in my early 30’s and then every now and then we would lose a friend or an uncle or two in a year.

I have started losing more and more friends. And last year the very devastating loss of my mother. So what does all this means. It means that as I get older so does everyone around me and we are all approaching that age where people are dying at.

So what have I learned from this? Well take good care of my health. Be kind to others especially those you love their time may be soon and then they are gone. It is too late to let them know how much you cared. Because we never know when it is our time.

I also have learned that stress is a big killer. Every day I start my day now sitting outside listening to mother nature’s news cast for the day. No TV. not even my music which I love and listen to all the time. Music is medicine for the soul and mind and body. But being outside sitting. listening, feeling the morning air at 5 or 6 am (or whatever time you get up will help start your day with calm and joy. And hopefully more time to hang around with a good friend that just may not be around for long. You may find something different that works better for you but keeping stress away from your life is critical.

Yes age does bring a lot to us, I just want to handle it with as much grace as I can and hopefully these old bones will take me and my friends and family through to another day. Thankfully I have discovered how to start my day right and I will be working on all the rest! Have a Great Day!

To Our very special friend Chris V. you will be missed and you most certainly will be remembered!

I loved the book! A real feel good, the girl wins and there is a happy ever after! Thank You Victoria!!

The Runaway Sleigh Christmas Special
By Victoria Bastedo

Reading is different for everyone. Everyone expects different things from a good book. Personally I want a book that makes me not want to stop reading it till it is done. I want to be kept guessing how it will end but not given the answer till the book is done. I want it to make me laugh and I want it to make me cry. To me a book that makes me laugh lifts my spirits and my mood and makes me believe I can do it! A good cry means the author touched me with real feelings. It means the characters where real inside and not just ink spilled on paper.
Author Victoria Bastedo covered all those items on my must for a good book. It had intrigue and love and family issues, secrets and lots of laughter and tears, yes there were tears. A young girl gets a job that gets her into all kinds of trouble, including physical injuries and well as wounded pride. But it brings her love something she didn’t count on. But she had to complete a mission for her mom and for herself. She had no information but a ring and a picture, not much for such an important question. But Ollie was just the girl to do it. And do it she does!

Writing is such a good exercise for a brain, for a heart and for a soul. You can say anything you want on paper and then you can throw it all away. That can soothe a heart. The thinking of it stimulates your brain along with the writing of it helps the brain and dexterity. You can write on paper and tell a special someone something nice to brighten up their day. They may want to keep it and reread it. Maybe little notes tucked under the windshield wiper of their car to find on their way to work or long love letters. That will put a little joy into both your souls. You can express any feelings about things and express things that should be said but can’t and feelings that need to be released and not hurt anyone and free yourself of those feelings. You may need several letters, who knows it may take a book! Isn’t that” a novel idea”!!! Loll!! Loll!!! Ok I am sorry just had to try that line our once, lollop!!

I fell away from that part of writing which is so important for me. I focused on the fun part of it and such and came across too many road blocks. I forgot you have to do the work to finish the job. You most certainly should not give up the fun part which can use ones imagination beyond our wildest dreams. That is good for the brain, the heart and the soul. But you have to put in the work and balance it out. Although as in most things good in life there is usually a little more work that makes the fun part so good.

Well it is off to work for me. Hopefully and can get down to the business of writing that I love.

I think instead of writingwildly I should be the Absentee Blogger, lol!

This is a re-blog from the beginning of the year. I have several friends that are dealing with the loss of or soon to be of a special friend, their pet. As all of us animal lovers go I think you all know how close we become and attached and how much they mean to us and how hard it is to take. I have also known a couple of dogs with disabilities and this is what I have learned from it.

First stop on our May Adventure was to the Kingston Ferry to take to Port Angeles to see a friend and then the next morning take a ferry over to Victoria B. C. from there. We left our car at the hotel and walked on. The Victoria ferry was a 90 minute ride. It was a great day. The sun was out, still a bit chilly but not enough to get in the way. I have always loved to take the ferries when I can, I love the ocean. They only had the one ferry running that day to Victoria so we were up and there loading about 8:30 am and we didn’t get back to Port Angeles till about 5:15 or so.

We have been to Victoria a few times already and love it so we just planned on walking around and enjoying the sights. We really hadn’t thought about how long a day it would be. That was a bit harder than I thought but I survived. But if you aren’t a walker I would suggest the tours. Luckily loading on the ferry and off and getting passports checked (You do need passports to go into Canada) and the ferry crossing that all took time that keeps you busy for awhile. But if you plan on doing it check your ferry schedules to see how many are going over that day. Some days they have several that go back and forth. We spent a good 5 hours walking around and that isn’t easy so that is something to keep in mind. There are buses, and horse and carriages and taxi’s if you need them.

They had the Irish Highland Parade and games going on that weekend so it was full of people enjoying their day. I have to say everyone seemed to be happy. That made everything brighter.

OH YES remember of course treat yourself to a trip to Murchies Tea and Coffee. (Oh don’t leave that one off your list, wonderful pastries, coffees and teas and lunches too, but you can bet we went for the pastries! Lol!) We had a good lunch in this old bank building that had been made into a pub style restaurant in art deco style. It was The Bard & Banker Pub. There are many good options for food of all kinds.

There are many beautiful things to see in Victoria so you have many choices. The Royal BC Museum is a good place to go, we did not go this time but it is worth seeing if you haven’t been. The Craigdarroch Castle is also wonderful to go through but if you’re walking it is a long walk. We have been there already so we didn’t include it this time. We were ready for an outside day so we spent most of the day outside. There is nothing like sea air and sunshine. Victoria’s Fisherman’s wharf and other spots with shops and restaurants are all over in walking distance if you like walking.

I always recommend doing a walk-through of the Empress Hotel. It is a wonderful old Fairmont Hotel done beautifully. They have High Tea and at Christmas time have a beautiful display of Christmas Trees from all over. We went over for the night and got a great rate at Christmas a few years back. What a great way to do Christmas shopping. There are several gardens to see in Victoria also. We have seen the Butchart Gardens several times and it is well worth it. It is beautiful. It is Mother Nature in all her splendor! (With the help of a lot of gardeners, lol). You can get Bus tours and such out there as it is not something you could walk to but you will be doing a lot of walking and there is so much to see. It is worth the trip if you have more time.

It was a great day and it didn’t even rain till we got back to Port Angeles again. I would recommend this as a great day trip, although there is the Beautiful Empress Hotel and many others to stay at. There are several options to get to Victoria. It is really a wonderful place to visit and so close to us here in Washington.

The year has already started going by too fast. We just celebrated our 47th Anniversary. I can’t believe that it has been this long. Were did the time go I am not sure well that isn’t true I have a pretty good idea,

We have been working in our garden trying to get it set up for this year. It seems something is always going on. Now that Spring has finally decided to arrive the garden demands most of our attention at least to get started. As for the weeds they steal the show every year until we attack madly only to look like nothing has happened because as soon as we pull them out they seem to be back again! But the claw feet bath tubs was a great idea for the garden even if I say so myself! LOL!

I am dealing with or should I say not dealing with too well too many distractions going on as far as my writing. I am working on things but they aren’t working. But I will not give up. I will say I am learning a lot about myself and about and other things. This is a good thing on the most part. Lots of work to do as in all things in life nothing gets done without work. I think my vacation on that is almost over, lol.

This year we decided not to take a big vacation and get some work around the house done and do little trips and get to know our state more. We can discover a lot just in day trips and with an occasional sleep over somewhere we can see even more. We have lived here since the end of Dec. 1979 and we have seen a lot of the state, but there is still a lot we haven’t. Washington is a beautiful state and there are so many hidden spots and some not so hidden. We have been lucky and traveled quite a few places that are gorgeous but I have to say I am always happy to get back to our great state. Oh come on it doesn’t always rain!